


Reflections

by Foodmoon



Series: Sakura, Empath [8]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Bugs communicate with Shino, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2018-05-02
Packaged: 2019-05-01 03:07:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14511201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Foodmoon/pseuds/Foodmoon
Summary: Shino reflects on various things. Tsume gives the packideas





	Reflections

The replacement fuinjutsu is an earth type, but it’s somewhat of a mystery. None of them can figure out what it’s intended for. They _must_ be doing something wrong, because none of them, starting with Naruto who to date has learned fuinjutsu as easily as breathing, and ending with Kiba who is the least interested in it, have been able to make it do more than create a dent.

What good is a dent, one might ask? None, as far as they can tell. It might make the footing unstable for an enemy, but flat footing is rare unless one happens to be fighting on a well maintained road. One might use it to create mud puddles, but why? Unless one wants to spend time splashing in them, of course. _(They do. It’s great. They all get yelled at except Naruto and Sasuke who end up having to do laundry themselves which is approximately the same.)_ But still, it’s not of much use even for a prank as far as they can tell. It doesn’t even make a _big_ dent, just shallow ones approximately twice the diameter of their fists or feet, whatever they attach it to. _They must be missing something_.

Even Shino would like to know, and his family doesn’t use fuinjutsu at all. Which, after seeing what Naruto can do with the most basic of seals, he feels is a large oversight in missing a significant tactical advantage unrelated to the clan specialty but complementing it nicely. Given the difficulty with which he himself learns them, he can see why it may have been overlooked, but he has observed that he is actually above average in the construction and use of basic seals so it stands to reason that with time and effort he can improve enough to consider them an integral part of his arsenal of weapons.

 _No one_ really is prepared for the Aburame kikaichu, but there are those well suited to fighting them, as well. Those who use poison or fire or do not depend on chakra enhanced techniques to fight. It would be foolish to overlook an entire discipline of techniques that would allow him to spare his hives and fight effectively simply because fuinjutsu is rather difficult.

He frowns, wondering how his brother had died, because the rinkaichu are immune to poison and a fearsome weapon in their own right. Shino barely remembers Torune, because that old councilor Shimura had taken him for Root instead of Shino when he was too young to really understand what was going on. But Root has been disbanded since shortly after that, and Shino remembers the cold look on his father’s face when they realized that Torune wasn’t coming back. There is no doubt that his brother is dead. But his death pushes Shino forward, making him determined to honor his brother’s sacrifice by staying alive. By keeping those he cares about alive. He is more isolated by this determination than by the nervousness of school kids who do not like bugs and are intimidated by his full-length coat and sunglasses that he wears to keep people from being freaked out by the kikaichu that move in and out of his body on a steady basis.

However, since he took notice of Ino’s determination to protect her not-a-friend on behalf of a friend from the _entire classroom_ he has begun to feel steadily less alone in this endeavor. Even her own boyfriend is not exempt from being disciplined for unkindness, though understandably _(the Uchiha heir is ridiculously good at ignoring basic genjutsus and isn’t afraid of bugs to begin with)_ her methods have to be more hands on there. He is still a bit surprised that Ino accepted his offer of aid so quickly, but he couldn’t stand by and watch the bugs be traumatized any longer, even if his classmates’ overreactions were hilarious.

Apparently offering to help Ino with pranks is as good as a declaration of friendship for life as far as she is concerned, and he has come to accept the slightly baffling fact that he has friends outside the clan now. First was Ino, of course, and then Sasuke _(though it’s always hard to tell with the Uchiha since he thinks grunts double as concise communication; they don’t.)_ Then Sakura and Naruto and Hinata, quickly followed by the other three. He could have done just fine with sticking to Ino and Sasuke, of course. They’re the prettiest of the bunch _(put the Uchiha in a dress and smooth down that ridiculous hair, and it’s fairly certain people would really think he’s a girl for at least another couple years)_ , which isn’t much consideration for friends but still notable. Ino is bright and bold and utterly fearless about getting caught, and Sasuke needs socialization even more badly than Shino himself does. But he doesn’t mind the others. They have their own charms and talents, and pooling their skills is strengthening them all in ways that would probably startle their teachers.

Which brings him back to the earth fuinjutsu. “We should ask an adult.”

Shikamaru stirs lazily which is akin to great interest on his part. “We could ask my dad, but…”

A moment of gloom hangs over the group as they contemplate the fact that their beloved parents might not be willing to explain to them if it meant explaining something to _Naruto_. None of them know why, but it is clear that the villagers react to Naruto with an unwarranted disdain and thread of fear. Some of the shinobi do as well, but there is no consistent logic as to who reacts badly to him. It is a problem.

They can’t very well abandon Naruto to learn it on their own when it is Naruto’s extra credit, even if they were willing to in the first place. None of them are willing to in the least. Maybe when the study group was first formed, before they came to know him better.

Naruto might not be the brightest _(a bit of an understatement really; even with Sakura’s help, his grades are barely scraping by on the written work)_ but he’s stunningly gifted with fuinjutsu and under everything he’s one of the most selfless people Shino has ever met, willing to be their friend without question, even if he always looks faintly surprised when they’re his friends right back. He may do things like ask to see Shino’s eyes and then remark, _“Huh. They’re normal. I thought they’d be big bugs or something.”_ however he never does it in a malicious manner.

But now? The tenuous bonds of friendship have pulled tighter. They are a pack now _(as Kiba insists)_ , a colony _(his kikaichu hum through their chakra link)_. There is no leaving any of the others behind, even if it would be theoretically so much easier. They are the ones he cares for outside of his clan, and Shino will protect them to the death if needed.

“I believe Tsume-san may be willing to help us. She seems to have taken a shine to both Naruto and Sakura, and I do not believe that she resents any of the rest of us.” He offers. Tsume Inuzuka is the only logical choice.

“Oh yeah! Tsume-san! That’s a great idea, Shino! Believe it!” Naruto bounces to his feet and lunges at Shino for one of his enthusiastic hugs, then catches himself at the last second and gives Shino’s shoulder a cautious double-stroke instead, a gesture that won’t disturb the kikaichu. A nicety which he has been careful to observe since Shino had explained that the colony tends to regard sudden impact as a threat. Shino is duly grateful.

~

Tsume-san is indeed willing to help. She frowns at the example and mutters under her breath for a couple moments before brightening. “This is a basic earth type. It makes a dent.”

That is…disappointing.

“But, what good does a dent do?” Sakura asks in bewilderment.

Tsume-san grins with a slightly feral edge. “Well, if _I_ were a weak little pre-genin and wanted to impress on someone that it is a very bad idea to mess with me, I might do _this_.”

She crumples the paper in her hand, hiding it from view, then punches a stone wall. The resultant dent is…rather impressive in that context. From the looks on Sakura’s and Ino’s faces, they find this a very _useful_ idea. Shino must admit that it does seem like a useful way for giving off an impression of strength that the Aburame are _not_ known for.

“Huh. So that _is_ what it’s for.” Naruto’s tone is…well, on anyone else besides Shikamaru he would call it uninterested, but for Naruto it is contemplative in a way that promises the advent of many new variations of the fuinjutsu in the near future.

“Yup! That’s what it’s for, kid. Now go practice or something.”

“Thanks, Tsume-san!” The rest of them overlap Naruto’s exclamation with their own appreciation before they head over to one of the Inuzuka training grounds that they’ve been granted permission to use.

Shino makes a mental note to point out to Naruto that knocking down buildings in one’s own village is frowned upon, and experimentation should be contained to more dispensable objects.

**Author's Note:**

> (flails) I don't even know. I totally forgot that Shino might have some vague knowledge of Danzo until I was writing it.  
> Also, Shino apparently notices both males and females at some level. Bugs still trump all, though. And he is aware that his clan will expect him to procreate with someone who (unlike Ino) will not be the head of a different clan in her own right. Uhhh... _(Excuse me while I headdesk here for a bit.)_  
>  Tsume's knowledge of fuinjutsu is _very_ basic, so it takes her a bit to work through it.  
>  As for Naruto, now that he knows that he's not misinterpreting the seal, he's very excited about alterations he can make to it. Konoha as a whole will never know how much they owe to Shino's timely intervention on the subject.
> 
> Also, my theory on the bugs is that the Aburame clan has a innate method of creating chakra pocket-dimensions that exist in correspondence to the actual body rather than the bugs making their homes around actual bones, muscles, and organs. So while it appears that the kikaichu are crawling out of holes in Shino's skin, they're actually crawling in and out of chakra pockets, not flesh. Because otherwise the science of it makes me cringe, ok? So, handwave 'cuz chakra'~


End file.
